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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kid — child
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — for pool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tube — a container
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com